Charbonneau Hired as Interpreter, Nov. 4, 1804

Edgar Samuel Paxson’s work, “Traveler’s Rest” includes his interpretation of Sacagawea and Charbonneau seated on the far right.  The painting is displayed in the county courthouse in Missoula, Montana.

In the midst of overseeing the construction of Fort Mandan, the Captains were visited on November 4, 1804 by the Hidatsa-speaking French trader Toussaint Charbonneau, who had just returned to the area from a hunting trip.

During their conversation with him, the Captains learned that he had two Shoshone wives. Because they already knew they would likely need assistance and some of the horses of the Shoshones when the party reached the Rocky Mountains, they were intrigued with Charbonneau. So they quickly hired him as an interpreter and enlisted the services of one of his wives. It’s not known if the Captains chose Sacagawea or if Charbonneau made the decision about which wife to bring on the journey.

Later, on March 12, 1805, Charbonneau would change his mind about being a part of the Expedition and he quit. But five days later, he reconsidered and returned to the fort to apologize to the Captains for his poor decision and inappropriate behavior.